Self-equalizing thrust bearings are well known and are widely used in various applications, such as marine propulsion shafts, to take axial thrust from a rotating shaft.
Perhaps the best known bearing of this type is the so-called Kingsbury bearing, shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,428,640, comprising a retaining ring and a circumferential array of thrust shoes. The shoes are atop tiltable, T-shaped equalizing links and some provision is made to allow limited relative motion so that the shoes are self-aligning to compensate for normal misalignments. Interposed between the links are inverted T-shaped links which are also tiltable and which in effect transfer axial movement of any shoe as the result of higher axial thrust; such movement will cause the underlying equalizing links to move or tilt, and engage the links on one or both sides, and these links will engage and impart opposite axial movement to the adjacent equalizing link or links and associated shoes until the thrust on the shoes has been equalized. Known bearings of this type are generally satisfactory, but there are certain problems. For one thing, in usual bearings there is excessive random movement and sliding engagement resulting in some inefficiency and excessive wear. It is also difficult to provide for adequate lubrication, and the assembly and the replacement of parts can be difficult.